THE MID;AUGUST HEAT in California’s Central
Valley signifies the beginning of plum harvest season. D’Agen plums, the only variety used for commercial dried plums (formerly called prunes), are
grown by more than 300 California farms that make
up Sunsweet’s grower-owned cooperative. D’Agen
plums keep their naturally sweet taste long after they
have been plucked from the branches, and only the
largest and best-quality plums are picked for Kirkland
Signature™ Sunsweet Dried Plums.

“Our prunes are different than everything else inthe marketplace,” says Trent Maple, Sunsweet’s vicepresident of North America retail sales. “We have apatented process that pits the prune more delicately,which leaves the fruit round, plump and fully intact,whereas other pitting processes tend to leave prunesirregular, squashed or flattened.”After the plums are harvested, they are taken to aSunsweet dryer (or dehydrator), where nearly 73 per-cent of the plums’ natural water content is removed,concentrating the nutrients and the sweetness of thefruit. Maple says the dried fruit can be stored in thisstate until it’s ready for packaging. The moisture levelof the plums is raised back to 33 percent before theyare shuffled into containers and shipped to Costco.

ties of dried plums affect bone health, but many
studies indicate that they may prevent and even
reverse bone loss, making the fruit a great option for
those diagnosed with or at risk for osteoporosis.
Ansorena says that some studies have shown they
reduce chronic inflammatory diseases, such as
arthritis, due to their antioxidant properties. If that
weren’t enough, the heart also gets a boost from
dried plums, since they are low in fat and cholesterol
and high in natural fibers.

Dried plums can also satisfy a sweet tooth and
help you feel full, good news for those trying to cut
calories. “[Dried plums] have a low glycemic index,
so the makeup of the sugars creates a sustainable
sugar level, versus big peaks and valleys that you get
with certain snacks,” says Jeff McLemore, vice president of marketing for Sunsweet. Ansorena adds that
the low glycemic index makes dried plums a dia-betic-friendly snack as long as they are counted
toward sugar intake.

Health benefits

Dried plums are chock-full of health benefits
beyond being a digestive aid. “This would fall into
one of the highest-quality dried fruits in my opinion,”
Rebecca Barreto Ansorena, a registered dietitian at
Baptist Hospital of Miami and a Costco member, says
of this super fruit.

Dried plums are a good source of fiber, potassium, antioxidants and vitamins A, D and E. They are
also fat free, cholesterol free and low in calories and
sugar, according to Ansorena.

Researchers are still determining which proper-

How to eat them

Traditionally eaten right out of the package,
dried plums make a great quick and healthy snack.
“Because it really does help with regularity, start
with one to five to make sure your body can tolerate
it, because the impact it can have on your digestive
system ranges from person to person,” recommends
Ansorena.

Dried plums also can be incorporated into
baked goods and savory dishes, reduced in sauces
for main dishes and even fed to babies as long as
they’re puréed to baby-food consistency. Ansorena
purées her dried plums and uses them in place of oil
in her favorite brownie recipe.

However you decide to incorporate them into
your diet, you’ll be doing your body a favor by eating
this delicious fruit. C

JIM FAGIOLO

The Costco
Connection
Kirkland Signature Sunsweet
Dried Plums are available in
most Costco warehouses.